The husband I snatched halfway through his life is strange.

Chapter 99 Come on, let's pry open the coffin!
Upon exiting the city gate, Ying Yin, his face filled with sorrow, greeted the funeral procession carrying the coffin.

In the suburbs, the wind is blowing coldly.

This place is sparsely populated, and the surrounding area is a vast expanse of white, all traces of snow cover.

The soldiers appeared in perfect unison.

They were all dressed in mourning clothes, with white belts around their waists. They carried the coffin, unable to hide their grief, and moved forward numbly.

No one speaks.

I only occasionally heard one or two sobs.

There were also strange, unidentified birds making random noises.

The loneliness of the suburbs was magnified again and again, and a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere enveloped the sky.

Xiao Huaiyan didn't cause any more trouble, staring intently at the coffin, becoming unusually silent.

On the way back, white lanterns hung high on both sides of the road, funeral banners swayed in the wind, and paper money fluttered in the air.

The sorrow of mourning is everywhere.

The coffin was finally carried into the mourning hall specially set up at the post station.

Ying Yin took three incense sticks and lit them.

It's unclear whether he was speaking to the person in the coffin, to himself, or to the officials behind him.

"When news of your death reached the capital, the Duchess of Shun fell seriously ill and has not recovered since."

Ying Yin had mixed feelings.

Actually, what Xiao Huaiyan said is not wrong.

He was indeed jealous of Wei Zhao.

He was a prince, but not born to the empress, which made him inferior to the crown prince.

Over the years, he had worked incredibly hard and made countless sacrifices to earn his father's favor, which allowed him to stand out among the princes and gain his father's affection, leading to a smooth and successful life.

But what about Wei Zhao?

She's two years younger than him, but her writing is far better.

Wei Zhao doesn't necessarily work very hard, but he's the promising talent the Grand Tutor talks about.

After becoming a military general, Wei Zhao repeatedly achieved merits, and he was always the center of attention. He and the crown prince, on the other hand, became mere supporting characters.

Even his father would always say it was a pity whenever he mentioned it.

What's a pity?
It's a pity that Wei Zhao wasn't a prince?
The Wei family members, generation after generation, are cunning and decisive, truly a detestable existence.

But now that the person is dead, Ying Yin is not necessarily feeling any more relaxed or carefree.

If the border becomes unstable, who else can...?

The imperial court probably can't find another Wei Zhao.

He let out a heavy sigh: "I was planning to treat you to a drink after this victory, but that chance is gone now."

He placed the incense sticks into the incense burner.

He poured a glass of wine on the ground.

“Return to you. I will take care of the Duke of Shun’s mansion for you.”

As he spoke, he stepped back to a spot, making room for himself.

The officials from the capital, their eyes filled with regret and admiration, took turns offering incense.

Xiao Huaiyan saw this and scoffed at it.

"Sir."

Someone reminded him.

Xiao Huaiyan coldly threw the incense that had been delivered to him on the ground and then stomped on it.

"What peace?"

“I advised him against joining the army back then, but he was too ambitious and wouldn’t listen. Now he deserves to die.”

“I told him to get married early and leave a bloodline so that if anything happens in the future, the Wei family won’t be without an heir. But he wouldn’t listen and even said I was cursing him.”

Is there any need for a curse?

You, Wei Zhao, are not an impregnable fortress!

That's how he got stabbed to death by the enemy.

Without even needing to respond to Yin's stern reprimand, Xiao Huaiyan seemed tired and strolled outside.

Once he left, the atmosphere became harmonious.

Yang Weiwen and the other county magistrates of Liu'an City followed Prefect Zhu and knelt on the ground, about to solemnly kowtow to General Wei.

Then someone cried.

She cried very miserably.

The officials standing nearby all lifted their robes to wipe away a few tears.

It was as if his parents had died.

Yang Weiwen looked over and saw it was Prefect Zhu. No surprise, it was truly a sincere friendship!
Ying Yin did not ask any questions, but looked at the prefect with a deep gaze.

Prefect Zhu quickly confessed, "This humble official was rash. This humble official is guilty."

Ying Yin didn't even take the clumsy little trick to heart.

Who among those kneeling here doesn't want to catch his eye?
Prefect Zhu finally spoke the words he had been rehearsing for several days: "To be honest, I am quite familiar with the general. We are good friends despite our age difference, and we often exchange letters."

"Upon receiving the devastating news, I was unable to eat or sleep."

"I can't help but feel sad right now."

This statement surprised many people.

This Prefect Zhu actually knows General Wei!

I've never heard him mention it before.

They've kept a low profile, though.

Ying Yin's expression also softened a little.

Before he could even open his mouth, someone rushed in from outside.

Xiao Huaiyan looked down at Prefect Zhu from his high vantage point.

"You said you and Wei Zhao are good friends?"

Prefect Zhu knew that the heir of the Marquis of Zhongyong was no pushover and had always been at odds with Wei Zhao.

"Yes."

Xiao Huaiyan said expressionlessly, "Say it again."

Prefect Zhu wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, but before he could utter a single word, his collar was grabbed tightly.
Xiao Huaiyan sneered: "If you want to be respected, I don't care how you climbed up to the Fifth Prince, but who gave you the audacity to use Wei Zhao as a stepping stone?"

"You say you know him, but how come I don't know?"

"The correspondence was even more laughable. Wei Zhao was extremely impatient, and even his replies to family letters rarely exceeded five words."

Let alone replying to his letter!!
He might write five letters and only reply with one as a token gesture!
Xiao Huaiyan complained many times, and wrote a thick stack of letters to him, questioning whether someone was holding his hand down or whether Wei Zhao's calligraphy was worth a thousand pieces of gold.

Wei Zhao did not reply to him.

However, a few days later, the teachers of the Imperial Academy took Wei Zhao's article and read it aloud and commented on it in front of all the students.

"Look at this, look at this! This is what a proper essay looks like! What you wrote in your assessments! I thought Gui Zhi would be too busy in the army to reply to me, but I never expected him to be so attentive, willing to write a model essay for you all!"

"Look at his calligraphy! He practiced the calligraphy of great scholars of the previous dynasty from a young age, and later received guidance from the Grand Tutor. His calligraphy has developed into a unique style. It already has a distinctive character; given time, he will surely become a great talent."

It's not that Wei Zhao was willing to write for the Imperial Academy; this is clearly a slap in the face to Xiao Huaiyan.

Is it worth a fortune? Yes, it is.

So Xiao Huaiyan wrote a letter specifically to scold him.

It's the really dirty kind.

Surprisingly, I received a reply.

There are no words.

It simply involved circling the typos in his letter.

Even now, Xiao Huaiyan is still angry just thinking about how furious he was back then!

His eyes flashed with coldness, as if he were looking at a clown.

"If you think what I said is wrong, then take out the letter he wrote to you, throw the evidence in my face, and shut me up."

“We who came to the capital can still recognize Wei Zhao’s handwriting. I doubt you have the ability to forge it.”

"He's not a good person, but they say you should make up for what you lack. The people he's willing to associate with are all of high moral character and honest!"

That's right, it's someone like him!
"I wouldn't be so blind as to associate with you."

Now that Xiao Huaiyan had laid his mind on the table, Ying Yin neither spoke nor stopped him. He took the water brought by the servant and drank it slowly.

The honest but not very bright Yang Weiwen hurriedly said, "Young Master, let's talk this out. You can't hit people."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Huaiyan swung his fist and punched him hard.

"Pah! What kind of thing dares to jump out and filth my eyes?"

"Doesn't it make you seem exceptionally capable?"

"You say you're his friend, why aren't you being a little bolder?"

"Come on, now pry open the coffin, and you lie down in it too. You can just open your mouth and say you're his wife who died with him!"

National Day Small Theater
Later
Yu Tingwan hammered Wei Zhao.

Wei Zhao: "What have I done to upset you again?"

Yu Tingwan: "Don't you know what's going on?"

Wei Zhao: "No."

Yu Tingwan was very unhappy: "I heard you have a first wife."

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(End of this chapter)